On Capitol Hill, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld came under intense questioning Thursday during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Washington Post described it as some of the toughest questioning that Rumsfeld since the war began. During the hearing Senator Ted Kennedy asked Rumsfeld when he is going to resign.

Kennedy: You basically have mismanaged the war and created an impossible situation for military recruiters and our national security. Our troops deserve better. I think America deserves better. They deserve competency and they deserve the facts. In baseball, it is three strikes and you are out. What is it for the secretary?

Rumsfeld defended his actions in Iraq and denied that the U.S. was stuck in a quagmire or losing the war. However Army General John Abizaid — the country’s top commander in the Middle East — admitted the the Iraqi resistance remains strong. This is an exchange between Abizaid and Democratic Senator Carl Levin who asked Abizaid if he agrees with Vice President Cheney’s comment that the Iraqi resistance is in its “last throes.”

Abizaid: In terms of six months ago. In terms of foreign fighters, I believe there are more foreign fighters coming into iraq than there were six months ago. In terms of the strength of the insurgency, I would say it is about the same as it was six months ago.